Breaking Free
by killedwitha.BusterSword
Summary: RuHaru -- And now she can finally have a decent sleep, away from her insecurities and the irony of crying herself ‘til she slumbers, for the man she just may forever love.
1. Chapter 1

_-- A life goes by;_

_romantic dreams must die,_

_so I bid mine good-bye. --_

_**SUNDAY**_

_**9:34 AM**_

"Take care of everything while we're gone." Mrs. Akagi reminded her daughter for the umpteenth time. "Please, Haruko. **Please**_._"

"Mom," the brunette sighed, rolling her eyes at her mother's paranoia, "it's not like I'm a 10-year old. I'll take care of everything. I'll be fine."

"Make sure to lock the doors," her father added to the long list of endless reminders, "and don't talk to—"

"Strangers." She interrupted with a smile. "Got it, dad."

He nodded and headed straight to the garage with the suit cases and duffel bags. It's sad, though. They had to leave during the last week of the two-week long semester break. "Don't forget to carry out all the responsibilities, alright?"

God. She wasn't **that** irresponsible… _am I?_

The teary Mrs. Akagi pulled her into a tight—**too** tight—embrace. "Oh, sweetheart…! I'm gonna miss you…"

_Choking…!_ She immediately hugged her mother back. The last thing she wanted was for her to sob like crazy. "We'll see each other in a week, Mom! Don't get all worked up!" And her mother really had to let go or she'll die of suffocation.

Heavy footsteps descended from the stairs. Haruko's brother, Takenori, was ready to go, too. "Haruko, have you seen my basketball shoes?" Even until now, she gets surprised by her brother's enormity. He was muscular and tall, but she was frail and… not so tall. _Maybe average._ Well, she surely wasn't **so** short!

"I'll go get them for you."

She was proud of him, though. His dream of winning the National Championship might come true this year. They've got strong players, and they've been practicing really hard, even during school breaks and weekends. _Talk about pure physical torture._

"Here."

"Thanks."

There was her brother, the team captain, the scary Gori-looking guy, who everyone fears because of his strength and will power to defend the basket; Mitsui Hisashi, who shoots the most accurate and beautiful 3 points; Miyagi Ryota, the point guard whose skills are fast and aggressive; Sakuragi Hanamichi, the 'genius' in the court, and the King of Rebounds, or so he says; and there was always _him_…

"Don't burn the house down." Takenori teased. "Anything can happen in a week."

"Don't be mean!" Haruko retorted. "I'll be just fine, thank you."

_God, how he could play…! Such graceful moves and amazing skills that leave your mouth agape because of its breathtaking spectacle …_

She walked them to the car, and said her final good-byes to her parents, who were going to a business trip in Tokyo, and to her brother, who was going to a training camp somewhere in the south.

…_his pale skin… his ridiculously handsome face… and those dark blue eyes that hold a thousand mysteries…_

"Make sure to be alive when we get back!"

"BROTHER, YOU IDIOT!"

…_his maddening love and passion towards the one game she'll ever play: basketball._

_Though it was one-sided, and THAT she will forever know, he was the love of __**her**__ life._

And as she waved and watched the car grow smaller and smaller at the distance, her last thoughts never left her behind.

_Rukawa Kaede and his __**overwhelming**__ perfection._

_**1:48 PM**_

Was it her or the vacuum was extra noisy today?

She'd been cleaning for the past four hours, maybe it was time she rested. _My ears are ringing…_

She wiped her sweaty nose with the neckline of her shirt, and rechecked her to-do list for the day as she walked towards her room.

1. Do the laundry. _Check: to be picked up on Tuesday._

2. Tidy the rooms. _Check._

3. Sweep the floors. _Check._

_4. _Go to the grocery store_. Ch—_

"I'll do that tomorrow…" She stretched her arms, yawned like there was no tomorrow, and before she even knew it, she had fallen into a deep sleep.

_**2:24 PM**_

_It hasn't even been an hour yet…!_

Waking up, irritated to the repetitive ring of the phone, Haruko grumpily answered the _damn phone_, only to hear Sakuragi's ecstatic voice on the other end.

'Haruko-san! Did I disturb you…?'

"Sakuragi-kun!" She suddenly forgot about her irritation. _Ah well, there's Sakuragi-kun for you_."Oh, no. Anyway, how are you?"

The familiar laugh answered her back. 'Nyahahahahaha! I'm great, I'm great!'

And she couldn't help but smile. "That's good. Well, is there anything you need?"

'Well… I was wondering if you… If you…err…'

"Yes?"

'If you wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon with me.' And he said that in one breath. 'You know… maybe watch a movie or grab a bite to eat…?'

She had been home all day, and a walk outside won't harm her. _Not to mention spending some time with a friend._ "Sure!"

'Really?'

"Yup! I'll meet you at the station at 3. Okay?"

'O-Okay! Thank you!'

She giggled at his childish remark. "No, thank **you**, Sakuragi-kun."

_**6:36 PM**_

"Wow…!" Haruko gushed at the warm orange glow of the setting sun among the huge layers of clouds as they walked on the empty streets of Kanagawa. "It's beautiful, ne, Sakuragi-kun?"

Sakuragi nodded, almost wildly, and gave her that big toothy smile. "Today is beautiful!"

They were nearing the public court, and dribbling can be heard from their distance. _Well, it isn't unusual at this time of day._

But she didn't expect to see **him**on that court at that time of day. With that jet black hair and that… _that face…! _How could she miss it? Only a whisper-gasp of his name escaped her lips. "Rukawa-kun?!"

The red-head lost his jolly façade at the sight of the person he hated the most. He didn't care if he had good moves and impressive skills. He hated him to the core. "That bastard of a fox."

The rookie side-glanced at the fence, and spotted the 'fool' that made his blood boil, and with him was… _Haruko Akagi…? Hmm. _

"OY, RUKAWA!" the 'd'aho' shouted, stepping inside the court and pointing at him like some booger on a wall, Haruko following behind. "THERE'S NO USE IN PRACTICING! YOUR SKILLS CAN NEVER BE COMPARED TO MINE! NYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Rukawa didn't want to argue. What else can he do? The fool still won't shut his trap even if he punched him straight in his ugly face a thousand times. "D'ahou."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

"D'ahou."

Haruko sighed. There was **never** a day when they didn't bicker like little children. _It's fun to watch, though. _Everyone knew they'd kill each other if they had the chance.

"…Haruko-san!" No, she didn't realize Sakuragi was waving his hand in front of her. And no, she didn't realize he was staring at them—no, **him**—with a dazed smile. Rukawa was staring at her, as well.

"I'm…I'm sorry…!" Her face went as red as the Shohoku jersey. _Now_ _he thinks I escaped from a mental institute. Good job, Haruko. _

"If you're done, I'd like to get back to practice." His voice, as cold as ice, but his face blank like that of a doll as he faced Sakuragi with an annoyed look. "You're wasting my time."

And even though that last statement wasn't for her, she was taken aback and she felt the need to run and cry, _run and cry,_ like the sensitive, hopeless romantic she was. _I'm sorry…_

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Sakuragi grabbed his shirt. _Dammit, just a punch or a head-butt will knock this arrogant fox out! __**DAMMIT! **_But how… **how** can he punch him if he was in the middle of impressing the girl he likes? So he lets his shirt go. But his angry eyes remained on that emotionless face. "Tch."

"Sakuragi-kun…" Weak. She was so **weak**. _Rukawa would never… _"Let's leave."

"But Haruko-san…!"

"Rukawa-kun…" she continued, her eyes on the floor because she just couldn't face him. "Rukawa-kun needs to practice. Let's leave him alone…"

The rookie's gaze did not make her blush this time. It made her sad, instead. It made her cry inside.

It made her heart shatter into a million pieces.

_**7:23 PM**_

_So why __**can't**__ I…?!_

Haruko could barely concentrate on eating her supper. _Why can't I forget about him? _It was always a failed attempt. _It's not like… it's not like we'd ever end up together… _

She suddenly lost her appetite. There was no more tummy rumbling. Her stomach twisted in knots. Not wanting to waste any leftovers, she placed them on the fridge to be eaten the next day. _That reminds me, I __**have**__ to go to the grocery store tomorrow. _True enough, the fridge was almost empty. _Oh, heavens. _Everything weirdly, oddly, crazily reminded her of him.

She shook her head and attempted to ignore her labored breathing because of him, him and **him**. "Get a grip of yourself, Haruko!"

Maybe a cold shower might help her relax.

_**8:03 PM**_

_Good. _The cold shower did somehow restore her good sense.

She observed herself in the mirror that night even if she still had her towel wrapped around her. She was all skin and bones, _skin and bones. _No, she didn't possess a model body from a Sports Illustrated magazine that girls would kill to have. No, she didn't exactly have a face that launched a thousand ships. No… she never really found herself _**so**_ attractive.

And she had always been a nobody. The school never really knew she existed until her brother became the basketball team's captain. People then recognized her as 'the captain's younger sister'. That's how everyone acknowledges her. She wasn't the social-climber type, either.

So she made a deal to herself. She wouldn't do anything to catch his attention anymore. She'd be herself, and just herself, though a little 'hello' wouldn't harm, right? She knew she had to stop this feeling because it would never be returned… so tonight, she'll cry herself to sleep, but inside she swears that today will be the last time and that she would never to cry for the same man again.

Because she knew he'd be the reason of her everlasting misery.


	2. Chapter 2

_-- You caught me off guard._

_Now I'm running and screaming,_

'_I feel like a hero.' --_

_**MONDAY**_

_**10:52 AM**_

"A storm this afternoon?" Haruko wiped the sweat from playing basketball off her brow with the back of her hand. The court was empty, _just the way I like it._ Looking up at the clear blue sky, she smiled to herself and shrugged her now tired shoulders. _It seems impossible. _Who knows, maybe the weather forecast for today was a hoax.

"Oh no! The house chores!" Dropping the basketball on the concrete floor, she ran home, not noticing the tall figure and a pair of dark blue eyes behind the fence among the bushes. The weird thing is, he wasn't there to practice.

Why else would he come there, without his bike, in just a plain shirt, jeans, and a pair of sneakers? He came here everyday to watch whoever play. It just so happens that Haruko was the one playing today. _She was pretty good… with the perfect lay-ups and all… graceful play. _And he never thought he would actually think of the word 'graceful' to describe a form of play.

_Err… _Where was he headed to again? _Oh, right. Nike._

_**1:31 PM**_

"Whew!"

Done, done, done, and **done**. _Finally…!_ Her daily chores were finished! She needed a nap…just a power sleep would be enough… _I'd crawl._ Anything for a nap. _Gotta… get… to… my… bed…_

A relaxing sigh. Her bed covers felt softer than yesterday.

- - - - -

Wow. He accidentally skipped lunch because of choosing decent basketball shoes. In the end, he didn't even buy himself a pair. _I crave for McDonald's._ Then McDonald's it is.

_**6:13 PM**_

He needed food. _Oh yes, I do. _

Practice had been torturous today, even without the captain, and Rukawa burned all the Big Mac, fries, and a large Coke in just the first 2 hours of playing ball. A low grumble from his belly told him that. But he had no plans to eat again. He stayed behind and practiced those slam dunks and jump-shots and lay-ups until he perfected them. Not that they weren't already perfect. But he had to, _to be the number one in Japan. _

- - - - -

Haruko groggily, slowly, blearily opened her eyes to the world, but she gasped before she could even yawn and abruptly got to her feet, once she had laid her eyes on the digital clock above the end table beside her queen size bed. She had fallen asleep for almost 5 hours and completely forgot that the grocery store closes at 7. _Oh no!_

Dressed in a pink tank top, denim shorts, and a pair of sneakers, she grabbed the house keys and ran down the street towards the grocery store with the shopping list her mother had left for her.

_**7:02 PM**_

The rain fell so hard against the school gym's roof, it startled him a bit. He could barely hear the ball when it hits the floor. Maybe it was time he went home. It'd be hard to ride a bike when it's already too slippery and windy.

- - - - -

She ran home as fast as she could, her feet treading the wet concrete floor. She was drenched and cold that she felt numb all over. _I knew I should've brought that umbrella…! So much for doubting the forecast. _But thankfully,she could already see her house from afar.

She dropped her groceries by the front steps and searched her pockets for the keys, but she did not find them. She searched the grocery bags one-by-one, but there was no luck. She had lost her house keys! The back door was locked, she was sure of it, and she really didn't want to smash their windows. Her neighbors probably wouldn't want to open their doors because of the wind's strong force, so her only option was to look for a locksmith at this late hour.

But there was still no luck. The locksmith's store had closed early because of the typhoon, and she felt weak when she got home. Her head spinned, and she so badly wanted to cry for help. But she couldn't even bring herself to grasp the main door's knob, and she sank to her knees, and only the ominous tranquility of blackness embraced her when her vision blurred before her eyes.

_**7:59 PM**_

Typical of him not to go home as soon as possible. It's just that, the ball was so hypnotizing that he couldn't just put it down. _What can I do?_ Basketball was his passion, his **addiction**.

Now the rain fell _even_ harder, and it gave him quite a hard time controlling his bike. It kept him awake. He didn't even have an umbrella with him. _Great._ He passed through his usual route, or a shortcut as he would call it. But he came to a full stop at the captain's house because of an unconscious body sprawled across the front steps. "Haruko…?!"

He dropped his bike, and got to his feet, running towards her, and oh, how she was burning hot in his touch. She was breathing fast, gasping for every ounce of oxygen and her eyes shut from the darkest of night. _Why one earth would she be out here like this?! _He carried her like a hundred pounds was nothing and attempted to open the door, but it remained locked after a few more turns. _I have no choice… _They couldn't stay under the rain any longer.

He had to bring her somewhere…

He carried her in his back, piggy back style, and ran for the nearest bus stop, not really giving a damn about his bike, much less about the groceries. He had to get home. **Fast.** Thankfully, **thankfully**, there was one waiting for a few more passengers. "Please hurry."

He sat at the very back of the bus, holding her like he was hanging on for dear life, and it was strange how tight he held her in his arms, and he was hoping, hoping that the small amount of body heat she could get from his body would help her warm up even for just the short duration of the trip.

And it was the first time in his whole life that he felt so awake… and so frightened.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much for the reviews. :) All _italicized_ words are thoughts, and I mean ALL, even if you find them in the middle of sentences.  
**

* * *

_-- You taught my heart_

_a sense I never knew I had. --_

_**.:TUESDAY:.**_

_**-- 12:11 PM --  
**_

_Spinning and spinning_, her world was spinning as the rays of the midday sun hit her face with such a blinding glare. Her head hurt so much, it palpitated, banging against her earlobes like a bass drum. _Sick… I feel sick… _

She looked around, recognizing the unfamiliar place, and she thought, _where am I? _She didn't remember falling asleep in a **king-size** bed, much less in a **big** room with almost all the accessories in different shades of blue. The bed sheets were blue, the curtains were blue, even the walls were painted in a subtle, **subtle** color of azure. There was even a bathroom inside. _Where… __**where**__ am I? _

And her clothing… she wasn't dressed in her tank top or her shorts, but was dressed in a pair of cotton pajamas, five times bigger than she was. _Why… I…! Where…?! _It was even long-sleeved. She looked like a hanger...!

She slowly sat up, ignoring her spiraling surroundings, and weakly, difficultly, tried to get off the bed despite how heavy and dizzy she felt. An open of the door stopped her before she could even land a toe on the floor.

"Oh, Miss Haruko!" An obviously non-Japanese lady, perhaps in her thirties, who Haruko presumed as a house maid because of the standard lace-and-black dress, put down the tray of food and worriedly, panickly ran towards her. "What are you doing? You shouldn't be getting off your bed yet!" Her accent told her she was of Spanish heritage.

"Who…? Where…?" Softly speaking like a faint whisper in the wind, Haruko couldn't make out of her situation. _What am I doing here…?_

The maid sighed, helping the girl with the weakest strength get back to bed. She was still on fire. "I'm Teresa, Young Master Rukawa's house maid. Here, take these." She handed her pills and a glass of water.

Haruko could hardly swallow because of her aching throat. _Young Master who…? _Maybe she heard her differently.

"Young Master Rukawa wouldn't want you wandering off in your condition." Teresa walked back to the tray. "I'll be getting these first. I'll bring you some again once you've regained at least a bit of your strength. You could barely sit up!" And gave Haruko one last knowing look before walking away.

No, she didn't hear her wrong. It **was** Young Master **Rukawa**. Heat rose up to her cheeks, and it wasn't because of her fever. _But how…? _She couldn't grasp the idea of being in Rukawa Kaede's house, possibly in **his** PJ's, possibly in **his** bizarre blue room, and possibly being under **his** bedsheets. _In… his… bed…?!_ How will she fall asleep now?

True, she didn't fall asleep. She **fainted**.

- - - - -

"Is she awake?" Rukawa Kaede anxiously asked Teresa as he collided with her in the stairs, his keen blue eyes looking straight into those placid black ones with such desperation and eagerness like she'd never seen before. "She hasn't eaten?"

"Relax, young master." She assured him. "She just needs a lot of rest; she's too weak. Anyway, it's been a long time since the guest room was occupied, yes?"

… _worried? _"Huh? Yeah…"

She wondered why he was so dazed. "If I may I ask, sir, who is she?"

He blinked. _Is that a trick question? _"She's Captain Akagi's younger sister."

"Oh…? Okay." Bowing before the young lad, Teresa continued to descend the stairs to carry on the house chores. "I just thought maybe it was something else."

"…What?" He was surprised. _**What…?**_

"Nothing." She answered in a mocking, sing-song voice.

He didn't know what to say. "Tch." But boy, was he **annoyed**. Teresa smirked at that. How she loved teasing the kid.

_Forget it, Kaede. Practice is in less than two hours. It'll be just you and the ball._

Come to think of it, he hasn't eaten lunch yet, has he?

_**-- 8:13 PM --  
**_

How long has she been out…? She felt so heavy and tired and muzzy and sweaty all over. Her body ached less, but oh, her head was **still** throbbing, though she felt much better than before, only because she didn't feel nauseated anymore, and the pale blue walls stayed in their rightful position, fortunately. The sky from the window was so orange and pink; dusk always relaxed her because it was her favorite time of the day, and she was grateful because the rain didn't ruin all that tranquil glow.

She managed to sit up, and once again, studied the room she was in, wondering again and again if this was **his** room… and why she ended up in his house in the first place! The thought sent cold shivers down her spine, and sent warmness up to her cheeks. The sudden rush of blood made her dizzy. She collapsed back down on the pillow, and tried to even out her fast-paced breathing, placing the back of her hand on her burning, sweating forehead. _This wouldn't have happened if I didn't lose my keys, if I had been responsible enough to—_

The door swung open, completely distracting her from her trance, and in went Teresa with a new batch of food. "You're finally awake! I thought I'd catch you here still asleep." The smell of chicken noodle soup filled Haruko's nostrils (though it didn't really increase her appetite) as she carefully handed the bowl to her. "How're you feeling, honey?" Teresa palmed her forehead with such ease, and she winced at how warm it felt against her skin. "I'm okay…" Haruko murmured, and smiled to convince Teresa's doubtful look. "I'm better…"

"That's good. You've been asleep for the whole day!"

"…R-Really?"

"And I got your things for you," Teresa pointed at the closet, "from the laundromat. I found the receipt in your pocket... wet, but legible."

"Oh…Th-Thank you." Well it's a good thing that it was only **her** laundry. It's such a fortune that her family was considerate enough to do theirs before they'd left.

"You're welcome."

"Uhmm…"

"I'm guessing you want to know why you're here."

Haruko nodded, a bit surprised at the maid's speculation. "Wh-Who brought me here…?"

"Why, Young Master Rukawa, of course!" Teresa exclaimed, sitting down on the edge of the bed with such youthful joy that it made the bed shake a little. "He arrived here last night, soaking wet… carrying you."

Inwardly, Haruko gasped. "H-He was carrying me…?" _Oh, the mortification! _Oh, the redness of her face.

"Yes. Why, I was so surprised! And I was worried, too." She was so energetic, she talked like a game show host. "I didn't want the boy to get sick. Fortunately, he's alright. But you…! I was so worried about you! You were so pail…"

Haruko couldn't eat even a spoon of the soup no matter how appealing it looked. She was either too sick to eat, or her humiliation prevented her from digesting anything, so she just held on to the bowl for warmth as Teresa continued the most embarrassing story of all. "According to him, he found you unconscious outside your house… and that your house was locked…?"

"Well I…" How should she say this without sounding so… stupid? "…I lost my keys…"

"Ah, that explains it!"

Haruko giggled at her enthusiasm, but blinked surprisingly when Teresa shot up from the bed, hands in her mouth. "Oh! I have to go to the supermarket!"

"Uhmm… It closed at 7…?"

"Not that one, honey. The one that closes at 10."

"Oh…" Wait. _And then I'll be alone in the house with Rukawa-kun?! _"No! Don't leave!" She abruptly shouted, placing the bowl on the table because she was **this** close to spilling it. "I'll be… I don't wanna be alone!" _P-Please…!_

"Young master is just away for a little while. He's at basketball practice." _Oh… okay._ "He'll be back soon." No, she didn't want to here **that**! She was suddenly panicky. "OH! You haven't touched your food yet!" Teresa placed her hands on her hips disapprovingly. "That just won't do! When I get back, your bowl should be empty, okay?"

"But I—"

"No 'buts', young lady! Don't be stubborn, or I'll force that into you!" She demanded, fixing the bed sheets and the pillows, and giving her that 'I'm-dead-serious' face.

"Y-Yes, ma'am…!" She could be worse than her own mother.

"I won't be gone long, so don't do anything silly, okay?"

Like she hasn't heard that statement before.

"Young master should be home soon." And just when Teresa was about to leave, the door opened and there he was, standing by the door way, looking like a _**star**_ despite the basketball outfit of a white tank top over a navy blue shirt and a pair of light blue shorts. Haruko hurriedly buried herself under the blanket as her cheeks burned like a furnace and she wished so hard that she could just go crawl under a rock and disappear.

"Is she awake yet?"

But oh that irresistible voice that she doesn't hear so often swam in her ears like a missing melody from a great, unforgettable song. It made her heart flutter.

"Wide awake, sir."

How she wished Teresa did not just say that. And whoa, how her heart raced as the door closed and she heard footsteps that clearly did not belong to Teresa, make its way towards her and oh, **oh**, the familiar scent that would leave her dazed and hypnotized that only belonged to him became stronger and stronger by the second. Her body was heating up, and she felt nervous and it gave her a fright and she just didn't know what to do because he was already standing beside her and he was **so close** and she has never been this close to him. Ever.

"Hey."

And she couldn't answer him back, like all the possible words she could say were stuck in her throat…! How she felt sorry for herself for being speechless in his presence and to think that he was actually talking to her, something she had dreamed of for a very long time.

"Hello…?"

And now, maybe he thinks she never talked at all because right now, she really couldn't talk and think straight. She couldn't even look at him, much less speak to him, so she stayed hidden under the blanket and tried to pretend he wasn't there. **With no luck.**

"Are you awake…?"

Or maybe he thinks she was being **stupid** and that would make him hate her, but she really didn't want that, and she really didn't want Rukawa looking stupid like what was happening now because he didn't like that and she didn't want him to get mad and get pissed and feel regretful for 'saving' her and bringing her here, because she knew he hated being fooled.

"Haruko…?"

And just the sound of her name escaping his lips made her heart burst with overwhelming joy because she has never heard him say her name, and to her that was worth a whole lifetime of endless bliss.

So she decided she would face him, and try not to make a fool of herself because she had already faced enough embarrassment. With all her might, she hastily sat up facing him, and the fastness made her head spin a little. It made her laugh when he took a step back in utter surprise but the moment he put back on his serious face, she stopped and tore her gaze and the blood rushed back to her cheeks faster than she could even look away. She almost, **almost** forgot how handsome he was. "S-Sorry…"

It surprised her, though, when he grabbed the chair from the desk at the far end of the room and pulled it to the side of the bed and sat facing her, arms folded and legs crossed, and from her peripheral view, his eyes were on her in such a questioning way, and she couldn't bring her self to return his gaze because those eyes were so beautiful and irresistible and—

"How're you feeling?"

_Much better, now that you're here. _But no, she couldn't say that, so she'll go for the safest answer. "J-Just a headache… But I'm fine…" And there were so many questions she wanted to ask him that they flooded in her mind and she didn't know where to begin. Her eyes flickered from him, to her lap, and back to him again and her pulse quickened and her palms sweated and her face was flaming hot. "Uhmm…"

"I called Captain last night. I told him what happened."

"Oh…!" And it completely slipped her mind that no one in her family knew about the incident, "I'm so sorry…" _Because he had to endure my brother's wrath…!_ But she was so thankful of what he did for her, letting her brother know. So now she had a little courage to face him, and even though she knew she was beet red, she still had a smile to give. "Thank you." And it was just right that she thanked him because Rukawa wasn't so dense that he doesn't appreciate respect. "D-Did he say anything else…?"

It shocked him a little how she could still smile like that, despite the obvious fact that she still felt unhealthy and weak. "He said he'd call soon." _Is she always like this?_ She seemed so unfathomable.

"Oh…" She felt like crying, but she controlled her tears because she didn't want to look wimpy and emotional in front of him. She missed her brother, though she never thought she would miss him in only a span of 48 hours.

"And you're staying here until he gets back."

_**WHAT?! **_"No…!"She suddenly couldn't breathe and her head spinned and her body heated up and it didn't seem to register in her mind at all. _No, no, no, __**no**__. It can't be! _"I mean, why…?!"

"Because he said so."

"But…" She tightened her grip on the blanket until it hurt her fingernails and her body was starting to shake. "Won't I be… in your way?"

"What do you mean?"

"What about your family…?"

Of all the questions she could ask, it had to be something about his family. He didn't want to talk about it. "…I don't have one." He winced as he said so. _I don't have one._

"What? Why?" That was a big shock for her. _Rukawa-kun doesn't have a family? No wonder… no wonder he…_ "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to pry…"

"It's alright." He **really** didn't want to talk about it. And she felt it, somehow.

"Why didn't you… bring me to the hospital, instead?"

Not that it was getting on his nerves, but… "Why do you have to ask so much questions?"

"Well I—I…" As much as she wanted to stay, she didn't really want to be a burden. "What if—"

"…I don't mind." _If that's what you're worried about. _And he watched her blush even harder and it greatly caught his attention when a smile formed in her lips, and it was such a pretty sight; _a spectacle,_ he realized.

"A-Are you sure?"

"Yes."

_You're losing it, Kaede; you're sanity._ He tore his gaze away from her, eyed the bowl of soup atop the table, and seeing the steam rise and smelling the appetizing aroma made his mouth water and his stomach grumble so loud, it made Haruko giggle, easing the pain of her migraine a little. It was so **human**, it made her heart melt. "Y-You can have it." And she was so glad that she didn't act **too much** like a lovesick puppy this time, and that little by little, she was already feeling quite comfortable in his presence. "I'm not really hungry." And the heat from her cheeks lessened a bit and her stomach no longer flip-flopped so much, but her heart still pounded and her pulse still hastened, and inside she felt really, **really** wonderful. "It's untouched."

"…No." Because she needed it more than he did, because she needed it to get her strength back, _because you haven't eaten anything yet._ _Can't you understand that?_ But her smile disappeared and she had misunderstood him, and… he really didn't want that sad look on her face. "You need it more than I do."

"But I'm not really hung—"

"Finish it 'cause you still need to drink this." Though he regretted the harsh way he said it, he took a tiny Ziploc bag, consisting of various kinds of pills, from his pocket and placed it on top of the table, beside the glass full of water. "I got you cold pills and some Tylenol."

"Th-Thank you…" And all Haruko could do was get the bowl and force her self to eat because the look he gave her was frighteningly strict, but because she was in such a hurry, the heat burned her tongue.

"…Don't spill on my pajamas."

"Your—?! I'm—I'm sorry…!" And that really, really made her face turn **so** abnormally red red **red**, and she thought she heard a chuckle from him. Her mind screamed and she thought she was going to faint… again! She was wearing **his** PJ's. _Oh my… __**goodness.**_ It felt so uncomfortable when he watched her until she opened her mouth to the last bite.

"…I—I lost my keys." Maybe he didn't know, and the awkward silence really made her feel like choking, and his look asked 'how' without him saying anything. "I… I think they fell… from my pocket… while I was running…" And she remembered the groceries she had left behind as she placed the bowl back to the table. _**Darn. **_All the money wasted.

He sighed like it was the answer he expected. _**That**__ explains it. _And she really didn't want to recall her irresponsibleness. "So, is this… your room?" She hoped it wasn't.

"No."

_Thank you! _Rukawa wasn't the one obsessed with blue, after all. She hoped he didn't hear her sigh in relief.

"It's the guest room."

"Oh…"

And another awkward silence fell upon them and she really didn't know what to say, but in his case, he was never the talkative type so this was nothing to him, so she played with her fingers and he looked at her and around the room and she counted to a hundred, and by the time she reached 64, he had stood up from the chair and he handed her the pills and the glass of water, which she quickly gulped and put away, and walked towards the door like he had something more important to do than watch a girl who seemed bowled over and distracted.

"Rukawa-kun…" He stopped in his tracks at the sound of his name and from the corner of his eye, she still played with her fingers. "Thank you for… for keeping me company…" She never thought she'd say it, either, even when they only shared a couple of minutes together. To her, it seemed like endless hours. "I'm… I'm grateful…" And she really **really** was because it was **him** who kept her company, and he didn't really know what to say or if he should say anything, but maybe it would make her feel better if he did at least say something.

He wasn't stupid. He knew ever since they've 'met' that she liked him, though she wasn't as open and as annoying as the other girls at his school, but he knew. "Sure." And if that made her happy, then it was all good to him and he didn't have to try and make her smile again because even a look from him made her joyful, and that was enough to make it through today.

And when he left, she again hid under the blanket and she squealed his name over and over against the pillow and her heart was hammering against her chest and her face still furiously blushed and her insides melted and it felt so… **so **astonishing and heartwarming and just so **great**.

"Good night, Rukawa-kun!" And the cold pills are kicking in and her eyes began to droop, and now she can finally have a decent sleep, away from her insecurities and the irony of crying herself 'til she slumbers, for the man she just **may** forever love.

* * *

**_Teresa_ is my own character. Review if you must. :) Many thanks.  
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